If your still clinging to the hope that a Wedding Crashers 2 will happen, then you will just have to cling a little longer, because that might not happen. But what is happening is Wedding Crashers‘ Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are reuniting for another comedy titled Interns. The film will be about two fortysomethings who lose their jobs and are forced to reevaluate their life at an internship. To make things more uncomfortable for the comedic pair, the movie will have the two pitted against twentysomething interns at a Google-esque comedy as they trey to advanced within the company.

In addition to the casting, Vulture is reporting that Shawn Levy will be directing the movie. Levy, who has already worked with Vaughn on this summer’s comedy Neighborhood Watch, will use a script that was penned by Vaughn and it appears that the script will be headed towards 20th Century Fox. Unfortunately this means that Levy won’t be directing Frankenstein. Apparently the movie had an $80 million budget that didn’t sit well with Fox, so this left the door open for Levy to direct another movie.

So what do you think about Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson reuniting for a second time? What about the fact that Shawn Levy is directing the movie?

What a weird trailer. It seemed to start off like a parody using bird migration as the event. However the movie is merely a life crisis concept featuring funny actors Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin.

All at a crossroads — Wilson is experiencing a mid-life crisis, Martin is experiencing a late-life crisis, and Black is having a far from ordinary no-life crisis. From David Frankel, the director of The Devil Wears Prada and Marley & Me, comes a sophisticated comedy about three friendly rivals who, tired of being ruled by obligations and responsibilities, dedicate a year of their lives to following their dreams. Their big year takes them on a cross-country journey of wild and life-changing adventures.

The movie seems to have a lot of heart to it and I love the generational divide of comedic stars in the film. It isn’t clear on the rivalry between the three characters from the trailer which makes it a confusing sell.

Does The Big Year interest you at all?

What do you get when you take away the sentimentality of Radiator Springs, insert an international flavor, make a tow truck a hero and go over-the-top on action? Cars 2, Pixar’s first sequel outside of Toy Story, may be the weakest film released from the computer-animated studio giant, but is nonetheless a fun ride.

You know your film is in trouble when a six-minute Toy Story short preceding said film is more entertaining and special than the entire two-hour main movie. Cars 2 starts off like a scene straight out of a classic 60s-era spy movie. Distress message. Evil scheme. Hero to the rescue. Spy Finn McMissile (voiced by the solid Michael Caine) is out to investigate mysterious operations taking place on an isolated oil reserve, where Professor Zündapp – yes, that is the name of the character – is in the process of designing weapons to sabotage the World Grand Prix. Unfortunately for McMissile, he is caught by the villainous automobiles and nearly escapes death. One of Pixar’s most spectacular action sequences to date, this sets up the rest of the movie. More chases, less story.

The World Grand Prix, an international racing competition enlisting the most fantastic cars, is sponsored by Miles Axlerod, a former oil tycoon showcasing a new alternative fuel called Allinol. We get some social commentary about the depletion of the world’s oil and resources – but this isn’t WALL-E – and that dinosaurs did in fact once roam on this planet dominated by vehicles. Yes, some context and background is necessary, but why at the cost of repeating plot elements from a previous Pixar film? We soon learn that cars competing in this magnficent competition are using Allinol, but once several competitors using this alternative energy unexpectedly crash on the track, red flags are raised. Is Allinol the cause? What are we supposed to do? Who will save the day and discover the automobiles responsible for this scheme? Enter our hero, Mater (once again voiced by comedian Larry the Cable Guy).

After Mater encourages Lightning McQueen, his best buddy, to sign up for the Prix, the silly but sweet tow truck, the former hotshot rookie and the rest of McQueen’s Radiator Springs pit crew set off for Japan, the first stop along the race. There, in a bathroom, no less, Mater is mistaken as a special agent and enlisted to help McMissile and Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) find the schemers hoping to blow up cars using Allinol through directing high levels of radiation on them. Yes, they think crazy-acting Mater is the American spy. Good cover, they think. How pathetic, the audience thinks. Now Mater’s series of mistakes and antics cost McQueen from winning the first race along the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. McQueen calls out his Radiator Springs pal, and the disappointed truck intends on heading home. But not before the spies snatch Mater up for assistance. Here he is wanted to help. Why go back?

The following hour of Cars is much like what we have seen already. Misunderstanding, chase scene, a few comedic elements, repeat. Everything fits into the formula as you would expect it to, and sadly, because of the film’s predictable structure, you begin to wonder if Pixar was even behind this project. There are the typical characteristics that define Pixar’s class, from the gorgeous animation, rousing musical score, abundance of in-jokes and terrific special effects. But what is lost is perhaps the most important, the emotional core central to each of their previous entries.

Substance characterizes every single Pixar production to date. Toy Story focuses on the everlasting bonds between friends threatened by mortality. Finding Nemo exhibits the dedication of parents taking care of their children. Even often-overlooked A Bug’s Life is heavy in its emphasis on the hard-working spirit of the everyman. Where the real meat of Cars 2 exists, I have no clue. I know I am not alone when I write that this twelfth Pixar film feels lacking in emotion. I don’t feel connected to the characters or the overall storyline. Sure, I recognize Mater’s regret every now and then, and I can even appreciate the gravity of the dangers of the alternative fuel, but there’s not enough grabbing me to worry about whether or not the tow truck wins back the trust of his best friend, or even the fate of Lightning McQueen for that matter. The emotional punch is simply lacking, for one reason or another. The excitement and laughter is there, but not the grit. For better or worse, the extremely high standard this computer-animation studio has set in the respect of creating quality products that tug at our hearts, makes Cars 2 a disappointment.

The plot of Cars 2 is such a radical departure from the original that it makes it seem like this caper belongs in an entirely different franchise. However, while the tone significantly differs from the first Cars, replacing the slow pacing in favor of fast-action fun seems to benefit the film overall. The most glaring absence in this sequel is the character that strengthened the story of the first. Paul Newman, voice of the legendary Hudson Hornet, passed away in 2008, and instead of replacing the wise car with another performer, Pixar tastefully makes reference to Doc Hudson’s passing. Another aspect of the 2006 classic that I loved was the whole small-town aura, with a cast of characters that reminded viewers of American nostalgia. Sure, Sally, Luigi, Fillmore and the rest of the Radiators Springs gang are featured, but very minimally. Instead we focus the attention on new faces, like Francesco Bernoulli, a cocky race car that exudes the same vibe as Michael Keaton’s also arrogant Chick Hicks from Cars. Whether or not the lack of airtime on the old characters is a negative depends on if you enjoyed the vibe the first film offered.

The release of a Pixar film every year is like a birthday celebration. Friends come over to take part in the special event, laugh, party and maybe even shed a few tears. Cars 2, on the other hand, is like receiving just the frosting – without the delicious elements of the actual cake – and having your friends drop off defective gifts. While those friends intended on making that event special, they realized they had committed to other obligations and only provide some of the effort. That is what Cars 2 feels like, a half-hearted exercise in desiring to accomplish a task, and never quite succeeding on all four cylinders. Cars 2 is better than many films you could catch this summer, but it fails to live up to the precedent every prior Pixar picture has accomplished. Therefore, in a way, this season almost seems incomplete.

Grade: B

The race is on! MSN has the exclusive worldwide premiere of the trailer debut from CARS 2 — Disney•Pixar’s follow-up to the Academy Award-winning box-office hit TOY STORY 3. Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is back, along with the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) and the rest of the gang from Radiator Springs. This time, they’re heading overseas for the first-ever World Grand Prix, where Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Introducing hilarious new characters and red-hot racing, CARS 2 is a global extravaganza! Four newly released CARS 2 images are also included and can be seen below.

Directed by John Lasseter and produced by Denise Ream, CARS 2 hits U.S. theaters June 24, 2011.

It’s been awhile since we have updated the 2 Guns project over at Universal. Based on the Boom! comics of the same name, the last we heard was that Blake Masters was writing the project.

Now, Vince Vaughn has signed on to star in Universal’s buddy-cop action film and may re-team with his Wedding Crashers’ co-star Owen Wilson, who is eyeing the project as well, according to Pajiba.

The comic was written by Steven Grant with art by Mat Santolouco. This follows a DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who are unwittingly investigating each other and who steal mob money for the good guys. They realize later that the mob actually got them to steal $50 million from the CIA.

The project is pegged to be a throwback to the ’80s buddy cop movies in the realm of Lethal Weapon and 48 Hours but with a modern spin.

No director has signed on yet. No production date has been set.

One of the best romantic comedy directors, James L. Brooks is back after a six year hiatus (Spanglish) from filmmaking to deliver his next romance jaunt – this time with the lovely Reese Witherspoon. How Do You Know is an upcoming 2010 film directed, written and produced by Brooks. It stars Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson. The movie was shot in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and is scheduled to be released on December 17, 2010.

Yahoo! Movies has revealed the trailer for the Columbia Pictures romantic comedy, centered on the love triangle between professional softball player Lisa Jorgenson (Reese Witherspoon), a corporate executive, and a major-league pitcher.

I will be seeing this movie, as I am a sap for romantic comedies, especially Brooks’ films. Also, Reese Witherspoon, is one my favorite actresses and you gotta love Paul Rudd.

Apple has just released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming comedy sequel Little Fockers, which will arrive in theaters nationwide on December 22. Its the third film in the long running sucessful Meet the Parents series about Greg “Gaylord” Focker (Ben Stiller) and his father-in-law Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro). The film takes place after Meet the Fockers with focus on Greg and his twins. Writer John Hamburg stated the film will deal with “themes of death and divorce and all these real things that as we get older, we start to think about, but in a really comical way. The film is being directed by Paul Weitz this time relieving longtime director Jay Roach from his duties. Laura Dern, Jessica Alba and Harvey Keitel join the returning all-star cast for a new chapter of the worldwide hit franchise.

The movie looks a lot better than I thought it would be but I still am vary about threequel comedies as they just never measure up the originals and the risk of recycled jokes wares thin (i.e. the “I am watching you” thing. It was  funny the first time around, not so much this time). I like the Christmas back drop as it adds something a little different but like Toy Story 3  I wonder why they made this movie in the first place other than recouping some cash from other flops at the studio.

Check out the Little Fockers Teaser Trailer Below

Go to TrailerAddict to watch the Hi-Res Version of the Teaser Trailer

Greg begins to go through a mid-life crisis as he ponders the rest of his life as his children come into play, he also begins to worry about being a good father and obtaining a stable job earning money for his family. This leads Jack to become highly suspicious once again about what is going on with Greg.

Harvey Keitel Joins Little Fockers

One of my favorite character actors, Harvey Keitel, has joined the cast of Little Fockers, the third film in the popular Meet the Parents franchise. When I first read this I thought it would be cool because he’d be great as like Deniro’s brother, an uncle we haven’t met yet. But actually what we will see him as a contractor employed by Stiller’s character.

Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson are returning, along with newcomers Jessica Alba and Laura Dern. Paul Weitz is directing the film, which has the working title of Little Fockers, since it focuses on the main couple’s children.

Zachary Quinto Eyes Whirlgig

I have been wondering what Zachary Quinto’s next post Star Trek role was going to be. Turns out he is now loosely attached to star in the romantic dramedy Whirligig. Quinto is considering the lead role in the independent Canadian film, which centers on a man who, in a misguided attempt to woo an older woman, befriends the woman’s adopted son. Chaz Thorne is directing the film, based on a screenplay by Michael Amo, creator of the Canadian supernatural series The Listener. Production will begin early next year.

Marti Noxon to Pen Fright Night Remake

One of my favorite writers and one of the brains behind some of the best Buffy episodes is Marti Noxon. Now she writes and produces one of the best shows on TV, Mad Men. I have always been waiting for her to make the jump to screenwriting for movies and now she going to be scripting the DreamWorks Studios’ remake of the 1985 horror comedy Fright Night.

With her experience with the blood and fangs, Fright Night seems perfect for her. The original Fright Night, released in 1985, was written and directed by Tom Holland and starred Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale. Ragsdale played a teenager who discovers his neighbors are vampires. The new version will keep the comedy-horror tone while modernizing the effects.

Owen Wilson has joined the live-action/CG movie Marmaduke, and will voice the beloved character in Fox’s adaptation of the long-running comic strip.

The story follows a family named the Winslows who move from Kansas to Orange County with their dog Marmaduke, a slobbery pooch who creates chaos wherever he goes.

In adapting the strip created in 1954 by Brad Anderson and Phil Leeming, the script by Tim Rasmussen and Vince Di Meglio sees Marmaduke navigate a volatile Mutts vs. Pedigrees turf war, woo the purebred of his dreams and overcome a fall from grace. Judy Greer, Lee Pace and William H. Macy play the humans, while Fergie, Emma Stone, George Lopez, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Steve Coogan, Marlon and Damon Wayans supply the voices.

This movie sounds a lot like Homeward Bound meets Dr. Dolittle by way of Beethoven. I have never read the comic strip but I am sure this will be a nice little family comedy to please.

Tom Dey is directing, and John Davis is producing the family comedy, which has a June 2010 release date.

According to Variety, the writing team of Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson will script the story, which focuses on the relationship between the title character and his father. The original The TV series, was produced by Aaron Spelling, and debuted in 1982 on ABC and ran for five seasons, the last on CBS.

William Shatner starred as a no-nonsense patrol sergeant, with Adrian Zmed, Heather Locklear, Richard Herd and James Darren as co-stars.

Rick Husky has long retained the feature rights to the project, according to Ryan Heppe, who talked about the film adaptation saying,

“The series was the poster child for cop TV shows in the 1980s with great stunts, so we think there’s a fun movie to be made from it,” Heppe said.

Our pals at Lets Be Friends Again did a comic strip poking fun at the idea of a T.J. Hooker remake and that since Shatner was not invited to come back for Star Trek, that JJ and his pals couldn’t have anything to do with this remake. See the comic here below.

Since the film is said to be about the relationship between T.J. Hooker and his father wouldn’t it be cool to have Shatner play the dad and Chris Pine play Hooker? I mean I think so…what about you? I just hope the movie doesn’t become like Starsky and Hutch did or cheesy like The Dukes of Hazzard. Although I could see Owen Wilson getting the role of T.J. Hooker, which would be terrible. Pine and Shatner that is all I have to say.

IGN had a chance to talk with scribe, John Hamburg and he offered up some good information about Little Fockers, which he is co-writing with Larry Stuckey. Night at the Museum director, Shawn Levy is directing the film for Universal.

“I’m currently writing Little Fockers, which is the third in the Meet the Parents franchise,” he stated. “We’re coming up with the story as we speak. Larry Stuckey wrote the original script, and I’m doing my version of it.”

He went on to say,

“We’re catching up with these characters five years later and Pam and Greg have twins so they are dealing with that. And people are dealing with where they’re at in their lives, and themes of death and divorce and all these real things that as we get older, we start to think about, but in a really comic way.”

The movie sounds a lot like The Family Stone with the Meet The Parents cast. I wonder who dies though? Is going to be DeNiro? Is it going to be someone else? Blythe Danner maybe? Interesting plot element. My argument on this film is the same for lots of these sequels and that is – what is new? are they still going to recycle the same jokes? – I just can’t get excited about another Ben Stiller sequel especially with the recent crap that was Night at the Museum 2. FYI – Hamburg also went on to say that Owen Wilson’s part will be much larger in this movie than any other.

Risky Biz Blog, is reporting that a third installment of Universal’s Meet the Parents series is in process of being developed.

Little Fockers has John Hamburg to rewrite the screenplay from an earlier version by Larry Stuckey.

According to the site

“Jay Roach, who directed the first two films in the series will not be directing this project. Currently producers are talking to Paul Weitz who is known for such films as In Good Company. Another name being bandied about is Peyton Reed who directed Yes Man.”

The studio wants Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro and Owen Wilson are to star in the third film.

This is a project that has been talked about ever since the second film ended. I really like the first film but had some issues with the second film being that it was a little bit more vulgar and most of the jokes were recycled from the first film so it wasn’t as funny. The problem I have with a thrid installment, especially in these types of franchises, is that everyone seems to be going through the motions.

One of my favorite comedy directors James L. Brooks is returning to the screen with a new comedy, How Do You Know?, that will star Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon. According to our friends over at First Showing,

“Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd are in talks to star opposite Reese Witherspoon in what is being called a romantic comedy with a love triangle. Rudd would play a white-collar executive vying for Witherspoon’s affections, while Wilson would play a professional baseball pitcher who is also a love interest.”

Brooks last directed Spanglish, which was a hilarious but sentimental comedy starring Adam Sandler. He also directed, As Good As It Gets, which is one of my favorite Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. movies ever! Lastly, Brooks directed Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News. His latest project sounds cool especially since he is reported to be directing and writing the project. Paul Rudd is the only issue as he was just announced to be in another comedy, Dinner for Schmucks so scheduling is perhaps a problem for him. The fact that Reese Witherspoon is in this movie is enough for me.